THE VALKYRIE'S DAUGHTER

In this YA fantasy series starter, loosely based on Norse mythology, an orphan receives answers to her questions about who she is—but doesn’t like everything she discovers.

Warner tells the story of stable girl Sigrid,who lives in the kingdom of Vanaheim. Sigrid’s constant companion is her speedy horse, Hestur, but she dreams of becoming one of the junior valkyries, who look down on her as she attends to their steeds—which, unlike hers, have wings. Sigrid gets a chance to showcase her abilities when Night Elves and a group of enemy valkyries attack Vanaheim and steal a magical relic called the Eye of Hnitbjorg. Sigrid battles with valkyrie Mariam, which leads to the accidental death of Mariam’s horse, Aesa. During their struggle, Sigrid grabs the Eye and momentarily views her own fate, seeing herself in the hellish underworld of Helheim, leading the valkyries and riding Odin’s eight-legged steed, Sleipnir. To fulfill her destiny, Sigrid frees the captive Mariam and persuades her to lead her to Helheim, whose queen possesses Sleipnir. Along the way, they add an ally: a Night Elf runt named Fisk. Sigrid gets answers about her heritage on her quest and must decide how best to use her newfound information and power to protect her people. Warner, who admits in her author’s note that she found a scarcity of information about some aspects of Viking society, deserves credit for creating an inclusive world, including a budding romantic relationship between Sigrid and Mariam. Sigrid is an admirable protagonist, remaining grounded even as she attempts to improve her station in life; her compatriots Mariam and Fisk also seek better lives and to escape difficult situations. Warner also makes the most of the Norse landscape, colorfully describing each of the various sections that the trio visits. The book feels lengthy at more than 400 pages, but, to be fair, it takes time to travel through nine different realms, and it all results in a colorful adventure.

A full-bodied YA escapade about an adventurer searching for a cause that adult readers will enjoy as much as teens.